It’s impressive to see the Zeros’ legacy thriving, especially in Australia, half a world away from where they started. You see a band and the guitarist is wearing a Zeros shirt. Browse a record store and you’ll probably spot a poster on the wall. There’s even a band named after one of their songs: Handgrenade Hearts. That actually may not be so surprising, though, considering they have a loose connection to San Diego (singer/songwriter/guitarist Max’s parents were both in local San Diego punk rock garage bands). But that’s beside the point. What matters is the music.
Lately there’s been a wave of bands recapturing that late ’70s punk sound, but doing it so naturally that it never comes across as an exercise in nostalgia. W.O.M.B.A.T. (also from Melbourne, with their singer pulling double duty as Handgrenade Hearts’ drummer), The Riffs, Stepmother, Automatic Lovers, Xray Xeroxx, Legend Killers, and plenty more (I’m just going off my Bandcamp list) all have something in common: they’re not trying to recreate the past note for note. Instead, they’re inspired by the right parts of the bands that influenced them. Had they emerged in the late ’70s or early ’80s, they’d have fit right in with their contemporaries. In other words, they aren’t generic. They “get it”.
And Handgrenade Hearts definitely “get it”.
“Pull The Pin” sounds exactly like it should: loud, catchy, unapologetic punk rock. Everything is turned up and thrown right in your face. The songs are punchy, memorable, and full of personality. They got a snotty attitude, backed by bratty vocals, loose & loud guitars, and hooks that stick after one listen. Think the Zeros crossed with the Dead Boys, with a healthy dose of Johnny Thunders & The Heartbreakers. “Dead Inside” even recalls X (the US “X”, not Aussie) with its off-key dual vocals. Play this record for an old punk who insists there hasn’t been a good new band in decades, and they’d probably ask, “How did I not know about these guys?”
The best part is that the songs never blur together. Each one has its own identity, its own memorable chorus, and its own reason to come back for another listen. It’s difficult to single out a standout track because every song offers something different. Of course there’s a song about “TV” (most Aussie bands seem to have one about television; like most American/English bands have songs about trains). There are a lot of sing along songs on this album. There’s an anthemic song called “Generation” which is a song for misfits (which if you’re reading this, you are). You’d think it’d be exclusive like the Who’s “My Generation” or Richard Hell’s “Blank Generation” or Generation X’s “Your Generation”, but it’s actually pretty inclusive: “This is my generation. This is your generation. This is OUR generation”. Other highlights are “She’s A Nerd (Just Like Me)”, “Cold Heart”, and “Love Soldier”. Oh, and don’t forget “Handgrenade Hearts”, “All You Got”, and the rest. See for yourself.
2026 is already shaping up to be another great year for music. With five months still to go, it may have some catching up to do if it’s going to top 2025, but it’s building momentum fast, and “Pull The Pin” is one of the records helping push it along.
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